Alessandro De Tomaso was born in Argentina in 1928. His
paternal grandparents were Italian emigrants. His father was a lawyer and popular
politician. Alessandro’s father died in 1933, when he was just 5 years old.
Alessandro De Tomaso’s mother was a member of the
aristocratic Cebalos family of Buenos Aires, Argentina. For centuries the family
birthright had been passed to the eldest son in each succeeding generation. But
when Argentina became independent from Spain (in 1806) that tradition became
illegal. Argentinean politics had since dictated that “all brothers were equal”.
Therefore, since that time, a coin toss was used to determine which child
inherited the family birthright. Both his grandmother and his mother had won
the coin toss. Alessandro, in competition with 3 siblings, won the coin toss
too. The Ceballos family birthright was his.
A centuries old tradition amongst the Ceballos family was
to pass-on a special tree branch to the son or daughter possessing the Ceballos
family birthright. His mother had passed the symbolic tree branch on to
Alessandro as per family tradition.
From Alessandro’s point of view Argentina was a “super
rich” country controlled by 10 aristocratic families, one of which was his
mother’s family. The aristocracy attended to the welfare of those living upon
their estates, saw to it that public education was free to the age of 14, and assumed
responsibility for the general welfare of the country.
Juan Peron was elected president in 1946, and was popular
amongst the working class. However those who opposed him or threatened his
presidency were imprisoned, exiled, or executed. He was re-elected in 1951 but
public approval rapidly declined during his second term. It was in this period
that the birthright members of all 10 aristocratic families were exiled.
Alessandro De Tomaso fled
to Italy in 1954, at the age of 26, with $126 in his pocket. He left
behind a wife, Maria, and 3 sons: Alejandro Jr., Pablo, and Santiago.
A year later (September 1955) Juan Peron was deposed and
fled to Paraguay. The government of Argentina was taken over by Revolución Libertadora,
a military junta. Alessandro chose to remain in Italy.
Alessandro loved driving and racing. By 1952 he had
decided that he would make his profession “playing around with automobiles”. Upon
arriving in Italy he settled in Modena, the sports car hub of Italy. Two years after
arriving in Italy (1956) he became a team driver for OSCA; a company founded by
the Maserati brothers after they sold Maserati to Adolfo Orsi.
Alessandro
De Tomaso behind the wheel circa 1961
Alessandro was an Argentinean of Italian
heritage, living in Italy. He preferred the Italian version of his name,
Alessandro. He only used
the name Alejandro, the Spanish version, when he signed legal documents.
Isabelle De Tomaso was born in 1930 in
New York. She is a member of the aristocratic Haskell family of Red Bank, New
Jersey and West Palm Beach, Florida.
Isabelle De Tomaso
Alessandro and Isabelle De Tomaso met while
racing sports cars. They were both passionate about sports cars and racing. They
were married on March 9, 1957; they also became OSCA driving teammates
that year.
DE TOMASO AUTOMOBILI – FOUNDED IN 1959
De Tomaso Automobili was founded in October
1959 to construct race cars. The De Tomasos
established a shop at Via Albareto, 230 in Modena. A variety of single
passenger, open wheel, mid-engine race cars were constructed, sold, and raced.
When designing the logo for De Tomaso Automobili
Alessandro placed a symbol representing the special Cebalos tree branch in the
foreground and the colors of the Argentinean flag in the background.
De Tomaso Logo
De Tomaso Automobili competed with a
host of other constructors. Race cars constructed for Formula Junior and
Formula 3 were the most successful. Cars for other racing classes such as Formula
1, Formula 2, Formula H, and Indianapolis racing were also constructed.
De Tomaso Formula Junior Advertisement, 1961
Constructing race car chassis
eventually led to the serial production of a road car, a mid-engine sports car
named the Vallelunga. The Vallelunga was designed by Carrozzeria Fissore (a
carrozzeria is a coachworks), but the production coaches were constructed by
Carrozzeria Ghia. The Vallelunga was introduced to the public at the Turin auto
show of 1963. To accommodate production of the Vallelunga the shop was
relocated to a larger facility at Via Dei Vitali, 55.
De Tomaso Vallelunga
The
next serially produced road car was another mid-engine sports car; this one was
named the Mangusta which is Italian for mongoose. The mongoose is the natural
enemy of cobra snakes, and Carrol Shelby’s Cobra sports car was popular at the
time. Thus the name was a clever bit of humor. The Mangusta’s coach was
designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro who at the time was the director of Carrozzeria
Ghia. The production coaches were also constructed by Carrozzeria Ghia. The
Mangusta was introduced to the public at the Turin auto show of 1966.
De Tomaso Mangusta
De
Tomaso Automobili relocated in 1967 from the shop at Via Dei Vitali, 55 in
eastern Modena to a larger facility one mile away at Via Jacopo Peri, 68 also in
eastern Modena. This is where Mangusta chassis were constructed and joined to Mangusta
coaches. The coaches were shipped by truck 185 miles from Carrozzeria Ghia in
Turin to the De Tomaso Automobili factory in Modena.
Alessandro De Tomaso and Enzo Ferrari
circa 1963
Alessandro
and Isabelle De Tomaso became business partners with the principals of Rowan
Industries, Amory Haskell and John Ellis. Amory Haskell was Isabelle De
Tomaso’s brother; John Ellis was her brother-in-law. The business partners acquired
Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin,
Italy in 1967. Carrozzeria Ghia was a prestigious design studio with
low-volume construction capability.
The business partners likewise acquired Carrozzeria
Vignale, also located in Turin, in 1969. Carrozzeria Vignale was a major
industrial property; it had relocated in 1961 to a new 300,000 square foot
coach manufacturing factory with the potential for constructing more than 100
coaches per week.
THE DRAMATIC FORD YEARS – 1970
through 1974
Lee Iacocca, then president of the Ford
Motor Company (1969 through 1978), admired the Mangusta, and considered it as a
replacement for the Shelby Cobra. But after inspection the folks at Ford deemed
the Mangusta unsuitable for the US market.
De Tomaso offered a second proposal which was given approval. Thus De Tomaso
Automobili and Ford entered into an agreement for technical service and for the
manufacture of low-volume specialty cars on September 9, 1969.
Carrozzeria
Vignale in Turin
The
name selected for this second proposal was “Pantera”. Rick McBride, the
photographer who was responsible for the earliest promotional photos of the
yellow Pantera parked amongst the statues and columns of ancient Rome, claims the
name Pantera was his suggestion.
Tom
Tjaarda, hired to be the director of Carrozzeria Ghia in 1968, is credited with
designing the Pantera’s coachwork. Giampaolo Dallara, hired to be the Chief
Engineer of De Tomaso Automobili in 1968, is credited with designing the
Pantera’s chassis. The Pantera was powered by the NASCAR inspired 351 cubic
inch Ford V8 known as the 351 Cleveland or 351C. The 351C transmitted power to
the rear wheels via the ZF (Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen) 5DS-25 gearbox which
is a five speed fully synchronized transaxle with a limited slip differential. The
name Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen roughly translated means Gear Factory of
Friedrich Harbor.
Ford
rushed the Pantera design process. It was claimed by one journalist that running
prototypes were ready in February 1970, which was only 6 months after the signing
of the September agreement. The Pantera made its public debut in March 1970, at
the Monza race track near Milan, Italy. It debuted in America at the New York
and Los Angeles Auto Expos in April and May of 1970.
The early
1971 De Tomaso Pantera photo by Rick McBride
Amory
Haskell and John Ellis lost their lives in a plane crash in March 1970. In June
1970 Ford acquired Rowan Industries’ stock interests in De Tomaso Automobili, Carrozzeria
Ghia, Carrozzeria Vignale, and De Tomaso America (an import company). Ownership
of these four companies was reorganized under a new holding company named De
Tomaso Incorporated. US Ford owned an 80% share in De Tomaso Inc. while Alessandro
and Isabelle De Tomaso owned the remaining 20% share. The relationship between
Ford and De Tomaso Automobili changed; prior to June 1970 Ford was a customer;
it could only make requests of De Tomaso. Ten months after signing their
agreement Ford was no longer De Tomaso Automobili's customer; it was now their
business partner.
The
next serially produced De Tomaso Automobili road car was a four door luxury
sedan named the Deauville. Tom Tjaarda, director of Carrozzeria Ghia, is
credited with the design of the Deauville’s coach. The production coaches were
also constructed by Carrozzeria Ghia. The Deauville was introduced to the
public at the Turin auto show of 1970.
De Tomaso Deauville
Unlike
De Tomaso’s previous sports cars, the Vallelunga and Mangusta, the Pantera was
a monocoque design, also known as a uni-body. The coach and chassis were not
two separate units manufactured in two separate factories, they were one unit.
When the coach of a uni-body is completed the only components remaining to
install are the chassis equipment; i.e. the drivetrain, suspension, brakes, steering
and wheel/tire assemblies. Without the need to construct an independent chassis
it was feasible to fully assemble the Pantera in one location, i.e. at Carrozzeria
Vignale in Turin Italy. Thus the earliest Panteras were fully assembled at Carrozzeria
Vignale. By January 1971, De Tomaso Automobili was selling Panteras. The pace
of construction averaged twenty five cars per week.
Alessandro
De Tomaso circa 1971
Ray
Geddes (Ford’s manager in charge of Ford’s part in the Pantera project) claimed
the operation at Vignale had to be restructured to raise the factory’s capacity
to one hundred coaches per week. This manufacturing capacity was the basis of
Ford’s plans to manufacture and sell five thousand Panteras per year.
To increase floor space at Carrozzeria Vignale Ford
split the Pantera assembly process in two in April 1971. The coaches continued
to be assembled at Carrozzeria Vignale in Turin; but installation of chassis
equipment and market specific equipment was relocated 185 miles away in Modena.
De
Tomaso Automobili continued to operate independently of Ford and performed
final assembly of Panteras and Deauvilles for Europe (and other international
markets) at their existing factory at Via Jacopo Peri, 68.
De Tomaso
Automobili factory at Via Jacopo Peri, 68, Modena
Alessandro and Isabelle De Tomaso
acquired control of Benelli Motorcycles (1971 – 1989) which was on the brink of
financial ruin; the company was brought back to financial health.
Alessandro De Tomaso aboard a six cylinder Benelli
Sei Sei is Italian for six
Final
assembly of Panteras destined for the US shifted to Ford’s new assembly plant
erected in eastern Modena at Via Virgilio, 9. The assembly line there went into
operation in April 1971. From the De Tomaso point of view Ford had taken control of the
Pantera project by that time.
The Ford
factory at Via Virgilio, 9, Modena
Ford
had to put the Pantera through the Federal safety certification process and through
both Federal and California emissions certification processes; but by mid-1971
Ford was selling Panteras too!
Ford
began testing the Pantera in the US AFTER it had begun importing them,
delivering them to dealerships, and offering them for sale. This was, of
course, the reverse order of how things were normally done. Testing immediately
uncovered one glaring problem; the HVAC system barely blew any air and the air
that it did blow was warm! A few of the test vehicles also developed cracks in
the welds of the rear sub-frame.
A
first group of revisions were quickly planned by Ford and implemented on the
assembly lines in Turin and Modena. But several hundred Panteras were assembled
prior to implementation of the revisions. It was decided the “unrevised” Panteras already shipped to the US
would be held-back from the dealerships and reworked by Ford's US contractors; Bill
Stroppe in Signal Hill California, Holman Moody in Charlotte North Carolina,
and Dearborn Steel Tubing in Dearborn Michigan. However, 94 Panteras had already been sold to customers; they were the
first 94 Panteras sold in the US. Ford issued a voluntary recall for those 94
Panteras.
Ford launched a second new model
introduction advertising program for the Pantera in the spring of 1972.
By
early 1972 Carrozzeria Vignale was assembling Panteras at an average pace of sixty
cars per week. However, once an accumulated surplus of gearboxes had been
thinned out, it became clear that the assembly rate of Panteras was not limited
by the capacity of Carrozzeria Vignale. The Pantera assembly rate was actually limited
by the availability of ZF gearboxes. ZF's production capacity was only forty
5DS-25 gearboxes per week (i.e. approximately two thousand gearboxes per year).
Ford spokesmen no longer spoke of selling five thousand Panteras per year.
Independent
of Ford, De Tomaso Automobili developed a higher performance Pantera for the European
market which was called the Pantera GTS. De Tomaso Automobili also assembled fourteen
Group 4 racing Panteras for the 1972 World Endurance Racing series. Finally, a Group
3 racing version of the Pantera GTS was developed.
The European market De Tomaso Pantera GTS
The
next serially produced De Tomaso Automobili road car was a two door 2+2 luxury
coupe named the Longchamp. As in the case of the Deauville, Tom Tjaarda,
director of Carrozzeria Ghia, is credited with the design of the Longchamp’s
coach. The production coaches were also constructed by Carrozzeria Ghia. The Longchamp
was introduced to the public at the Turin auto show of 1972.
De Tomaso Longchamp
GTS
Ford launched yet another new model
introduction advertising program in the fall of 1972. This new model
introduction announced a new Pantera with a second series of “Ford revisions”
called the Pantera L. Among the revisions were impact resistant bumpers, a
low-emissions engine, and 60 series low profile tires. Other revisions were
introduced progressively after the new model went into production.
The De Tomaso Pantera L
Alessandro and Isabelle De Tomaso sold
their 20% interest in De Tomaso Inc. to Ford in December 1972. Ford did not
retain the rights to the name De Tomaso so the businesses which had been
organized in June 1970 under the name De Tomaso Inc. were reorganized under a
new name, Ghia Operations.
The
De Tomaso Automobili factory at Via Jacopo Peri, 68 became the property of Ford,
thus the De Tomasos relocated to a new location 8½ miles away in western Modena
at Via Emilia Ovest, 1250. There they continued to assemble Panteras,
Deauvilles, and Longchamps for Europe (and other international markets) under a
new name, De Tomaso Modena.
The alliance had begun in 1969 with Ford being
De Tomaso Automobili’s customer. Three years later, in a reversal of roles, De
Tomaso Modena became Ford's customer for Pantera, Deauville, and Longchamp
coaches and 351C engines.
Alessandro and Isabelle De Tomaso
acquired control of Moto Guzzi Motorcycles (1973 – 2000) which, like Benelli,
had been on the brink of financial ruin. It too was restored to financial
health.
Ghia
Operations offered a Pantera GTS option for the US market in 1974 costing an
additional $427. It had the appearance of a European Pantera GTS but lacked the
mechanical improvements of the European version.
Ford originally intended to import Panteras to
the end of model year 1974. Ghia Operations assembled a proposal for a 1975
Pantera. However, an oil embargo in October 1973 caused the sales of sports cars
around the world to come to a grinding halt. Thus any thought of importing
Panteras beyond model year 1974 was quashed.
The Proposed
1975 De Tomaso Pantera
As
planned, Ford terminated the Pantera project after the 1974 model year; the
task of sorting-out the Pantera flaws was left unfinished.
THE POST FORD YEARS –
1975 through 2004
De
Tomaso Modena acquired one last batch of Pantera coaches from Ghia Operations before
Ford terminated the Pantera assembly line in the summer of 1974.
The
Pantera model range offered by De Tomaso Modena circa 1975 included the Pantera
L, the Pantera GTS, and the Group 3 racing version of the GTS.
The
De Tomasos acquired control of two Italian automobile companies on the brink of
financial ruin; Maserati Automobiles (1975 – 1993) and Innocenti Automobiles
(1976 – 1990). Like the
motorcycle companies acquired earlier, Maserati and Innocenti were also
restored to financial health.
Ford abandoned their Pantera customers as soon
as the warranties expired. With few exceptions the “select” Lincoln Mercury
dealerships which had sold the Pantera began to shut down their Pantera service
centers.
Independent
Pantera service centers were founded to take the places of the dealership based
service centers. The independent service centers acquired the parts inventories
being sold-off by the dealerships. De Tomaso Modena eventually established two
parts distributors; one in the US and one in Europe.
The
task of sorting-out the flaws Ford had failed to resolve and the challenge of
keeping the Pantera on the road fell upon the owners and the independent
service centers. Pantera International, with Eveline Blanchett at the helm,
played a supporting role by bringing owners together for the purpose of sharing
information.
By
1978, at the age of 50, Alessandro De Tomaso and his wife Isabelle had founded
an automobile company, and they had already acquired and sold two famous
Italian coach builders, Carrozzeria Ghia and Carrozzeria Vignale. They
currently controlled two additional Italian automobile companies, one of which
was the famed Maserati. They also controlled two famous Italian motorcycle
companies, Benelli and Moto Guzzi. Notable among these companies was Innocenti
with 2300 employees constructing 40,000 “Minis” per year. The Innocenti Mini
was, as the name implies, a small economy car.
Alessandro
and Isabelle controlled a boutique in Rome, Fonderie Bezzi of Modena (an
aluminum foundry), and Callegari & Ghigi of Ravenna (a manufacturer of
rubber boats). They owned the historic Canalgrande hotel of Modena, a
functional hotel which also served as their residence. They also owned a
private art and antique collection containing items notable enough to be of
interest to the British Museum.
Construction
of the Pantera, Deauville, and Longchamp continued. The model range of Panteras
included the Pantera GTS as the base-model, the Group 3 racing version of the
GTS, and a wide body option for the GTS.
The
first wide body Pantera evolved over a short period of time. It seems the ultra-wide
and ultra-low profile Pirelli P7 tires became available in 1978 and both De
Tomaso and Lamborghini revised their cars to take advantage of them quickly and
simultaneously. The wide body Pantera was introduced in 1979. It began as a GTS custom ordered with riveted-on
flares from the Group 4 racing Pantera of 1972, Group 4 type wheels, and the
new Pirelli P7 tires.
The name for the wide body Panteras evolved during
that first year from GTS/4 to GT4 and finally to GT5. The riveted-on flares of GTS/4
and early GT4 Panteras evolved into fiberglass bodywork which included a
substantial front air dam and “ground effects skirts” between the front and
rear wheel arches. The GT5 combined chassis components from the Group 3 Pantera
race car and a more luxuriously furnished interior. By 1980 the GT5 was no
longer a GTS with flares, it was a separate model; no longer a sports car it had
evolved into a Super Car.
Tom Tjaarda
– the Pantera designer – posed with a De Tomaso GT5 Pantera Photo by G. Pence
In the 1980’s Alessandro De Tomaso
gained the stature of an elder spokesperson within the automotive industry. De
Tomaso Modena and Maserati were both involved in projects with the Chrysler Corporation
due to Alessandro’s friendship with Lee Iacocca, then president, CEO, and
Chairman of the Chrysler Corporation (1978 to 1992).
Dodge
De Tomaso (based on the Omni 024)
De Tomaso was also involved in a
project with the Japanese auto maker Daihatsu.
Daihatsu
Charade De Tomaso
Alessandro and Isabelle acquired (from
Ford) the land at Via Virgilio, 9, Modena where Ford’s former assembly plant
had been located. They erected a new factory there for De Tomaso Modena. This
address began showing up on brochures by 1985. Modena was growing, the Via
(road) had become a Viale (avenue).
In 1985 the GT5 evolved into the GT5-S
with steel fender flares.
Six GT5-S De Toamso Panteras Gathered in Las Vegas photo by Mark Fechser
De Tomaso Modena manufactured the
Deauville through 1985, and the Longchamp through 1988.
In 1990 the GT5-S evolved into the
Pantera Si, with coachwork updated by Marcello Gandini. The Pantera Si was a
significantly improved model conceived with plans for re-establishing export to
North America. The lack of a passive passenger restraint system prevented that
from happening.
The De Tomaso Pantera
Si photo by Adam Pence
De Tomaso Modena manufactured the
Pantera Si through 1993.
Sadly, Alessandro De Tomaso was
afflicted by a stroke in January 1993 that left him physically impaired.
The next serially produced De Tomaso Modena road
car was another mid-engine sports car; this one was named the Guara. Carlo
Gaino, co-founder of Synthesis Design, is credited with the design of the
Guara’s coach. The Guara was introduced to the public at the Geneva auto show
of 1993.
De Tomaso Guara
One
other serially produced road car, a front-engine sports car, owes its existence
to De Tomaso Modena. It was introduced to the public at the Geneva auto show of
1996 as the De Tomaso Bigua. The Bigua’s coach was designed by Marcello Gandini
and Giordano Casarini was responsible for the engineering. At the request of
the project’s financial backer, Bruce Qvale, the car was renamed the Mangusta. Bruce Qvale’s father, Kjell
Qvale, had been the US importer of the original De Tomaso Mangusta in 1968.
De Tomaso Bigua/Qvale Mangusta
Production
of the De Tomaso Mangusta began in late 1999. However, a dispute between De
Tomaso Modena and Bruce Qvale arose in 2000, and they parted company. Bruce
Qvale took-over the project; from that point forward the car was constructed
under the Qvale name, and sold as the Qvale Mangusta. In mid-2001 the Qvale
Mangusta project was purchased by the MG Rover group who repurposed the Bigua/Mangusta
platform for the MG XPower SV.
A new
Pantera was Alessandro’s last project. A non-functional, full size model had been
produced but that is as far as the project ever got.
The
prototype 21st century De Tomaso Pantera
Alessandro De Tomaso passed away on May 21, 2003 at the age of 74. Santiago and Isabelle De Tomaso voted in 2004 to place De Tomaso Modena into receivership.
Alessandro
De Tomaso circa 1990
Total
output of De Tomaso Automobili, De Tomaso Modena, and in the case of the
Pantera, Ghia Operations.
Further Reading: An interview of Alessandro De Tomaso was
conducted in 1986 by Denise McCluggage and published in Autoweek Magazine. It
was published in two parts, October 13 and October 20, 1986, titled "Never
on Tuesday". The article was reprinted in the Pantera International
Newsletter; Volumes 14-3 and 14-4 (Fall and Winter 1988). Back issues of those
newsletters are available from the De Tomaso Gift Store.
